10.01.07

Senators Conrad and Gregg Announce Publication of Senate Budget Committee History

Washington, DC - Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Judd Gregg (R-NH), chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Budget Committee, today announced the publication of the history of the Committee, from its establishment in 1974 until its 32nd anniversary in 2006.

“As one of the younger committees in the Senate, we are in the unique position of being able to create a thorough review of our relatively brief three-decade history by collecting first-hand information from many of the staff and members who played such a formidable role in the Committee’s formation,” said Chairman Conrad. “This detailed resource will serve as a useful tool for those wanting to learn why our Committee was established, its evolution and how it operates today.”

“The Constitution gave Congress the power of the purse,” said Senator Gregg. “The Senate Budget Committee is therefore one of the Senate’s most important committees. It writes the annual federal budget and provides for annual and long-term spending and revenue levels. It is the committee that really ‘drafts the memo’ that influences which subsequent legislation can move forward. And as this history shows, the Committee’s leadership and staff have consistently performed the difficult task of managing the nation’s budget priorities with dedication and professionalism.”

The Senate Budget Committee was created in 1974 under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act. The Committee history provides detail on the evolution of the budget process, both for the period leading up to the 1974 Act and for the many procedural changes since then. The history also includes excerpts from interviews with former Senate Budget Committee staff, which provide personal perspectives on subjects as diverse as the creation of a staff and committee structure from scratch and the development and challenges of both budget enforcement and the reconciliation process.

The publication "Committee on the Budget, 1974-2006" is available through the Government Printing Office

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Contacts: For Senator Conrad: Stu Nagurka (202) 224-7436
For Senator Gregg: Betsy Holahan (202) 224-6011